Avro 627 Mailplane
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Alliott Verdon Roe |
| Headquarters | Manchester , United Kingdom |
The Avro 627 Mailplane was a British-built biplane developed in 1931 by Avro, adapted from the Avro Antelope bomber to serve as a mail plane intended for Canadian operations. Only a single unit was constructed, which ultimately served as a test bed.
Development
Initially, the Avro 608 Hawk was conceived as a two-seat fighter variant of the Avro Antelope, designed to be powered by a Bristol Jupiter radial engine. Although work on the prototype commenced, it remained unfinished and was subsequently redesigned to incorporate a 540 hp (400 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther powerplant, resulting in the Avro 622.
Interest from Canadian Airways, who expressed a potential need for a mail carrier aircraft, led Roy Chadwick to further modify the incomplete prototype into the Avro 627 Mailplane. This model featured a single-engine, single-bay biplane configuration equipped with a 525 hp (391 kW) Panther engine and could be configured with either wheels or floats. The only prototype (registration G-ABJM) received certification on 2 August 1931 and was dispatched to Canada for operational evaluation. Despite successful trials, the withdrawal of Canadian government subsidies for civil aviation rendered Canadian Airways unable to procure new aircraft, resulting in the mailplane's return to England.
In 1933, the aircraft underwent conversion into a high-speed test platform for the Armstrong Siddeley Tiger engine, after which it was designated the Avro 654.
Operational history
Following its return from Canada, the Mailplane participated in the 1932 King's Cup Race, achieving the highest recorded speed of 176 mph (283 km/h). Despite this impressive performance, the handicap system resulted in a 29th-place finish.
Once modified into the Avro 654, the aircraft's service period was brief, as it was dismantled at Woodford Aerodrome in 1934.
Variants
- Avro 608 Hawk
- Intended as a two-seat fighter powered by a 425 hp (317 kW) Bristol Jupiter engine; the prototype remained unfinished.
- Avro 622
- A reworked version of the Avro 608 equipped with a 540 hp (400 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther II engine; the incomplete prototype was later transformed into the Avro 627.
- Avro 627 Mailplane
- A single-seat mailplane variant driven by a 525 hp (391 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA engine; one prototype was constructed.
- Avro 654
- The Avro 627 converted into a high-speed experimental platform.
Specifications (Avro 627 Mailplane)
